Gabon – Pacific co-existence between humans and elephants

Countries: Gabon

Topics: AgricultureForest sector

Status: Funds Transferred

Amount: $10,000,003 USD

Start Date: 17/03/2025

End Date: 15/01/2027

Implementing Organizations: WCS

National Partners: Ministry of Forests and Waters

Gabon’s successes in conservation – including hosting Africa’s largest population of forest elephants (95,000) – have also led to unforeseen consequences, such as human-wildlife conflict that contributes to food insecurity in rural areas. Indeed, Between 2016 and 2021, nearly 12,000 complaints about crop destruction were recorded, and from 2020 to 2021, 18 out of 27 wildlife attacks were caused by elephants, resulting in 8 deaths and several serious injuries. In response, Gabon is refining its policies to ensure they benefit both the environment and local communities.

In response to an urgent call in December 2024 by the Gabonese Prime Minister to the international community, asking for support on mitigating human- elephant conflicts, the “Pacific co-existence between humans and elephants” project was approved to offer immediate solutions to a major conflict with potential to undermine environmental protection efforts.

Timeline

2024

2025

2026

Objectives

This integrated project aims to reduce human-elephant conflicts thus improving food security and support sustainable agriculture through the installation of 1800 mobile fences, smart agricultural practices, education campaigns, and an innovative insurance system for damages caused by elephants. By creating harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants, the project is expected to reinforce public support for conservation.

million dollars approved

million dollars transferred

electrified fences already installed (target : 1800)

hectares already protected from raids

farmers with protected crops

%

fences efficacy

Results to date

By 30 June 2026, the project has :

Installed 1,608 mobile electric fences, protecting 4,355 hectares of farmland and benefiting 25,970 people across the 9 provinces of Gabon, significantly reducing crop-raiding incidents.. These fences help farmers protect crops while allowing elephants to remain in surrounding forest habitats. An independent verification carried out in March had confirmed the results reported by end 2025 (i.e 1151 electric fences, covering 2821 hectares and benefiting 18,327people)
Monitoring reported effectiveness above 90% in preventing elephant intrusions into fenced fields. Community support focuses on maintaining and repairing fences so they continue to protect agricultural production.
Piloted early-warning systems based on elephant movement data in three hotspots.
Provided fencing support and alternative crops to farmers in priority zones.
Held multi-stakeholder meetings (ministries, NGOs, and local communities) in Libreville and provincial capitals, aligning land-use and compensation strategies.
Trained 50 local rangers and community monitors on rapid-response training
Consolidated a database of 220 historical conflict incidents and 40 satellite-tracked elephant movements, informing corridor planning.